There was a time in my life where I sat and watched John Edward talk about the after life and people watching over their loved ones while he was doing "readings" on a talk show and thought... Hmmmm that's interesting, but there's got to be more to it, he couldn't possibly be "talking to spirits"... I'm starting to believe that he might just be on to something.
I have shared several stories about what I have come to call "Random acts of Bryceness". First there were the text messages at 2am which allowed me one more goodbye before he passed away (at 3:45am). Followed by Shannon and "The Purple Monkey", there was the Book of Hope falling off the top of the boxes when I was having a really hard day, My onion in my salad making the perfect "cancer ribbon" on my fork at Chili's and the song "He's My Son" playing on the radio while I was having a meltdown at the Dr's office. Well... I have another story to share from yesterday as well as one that happened a little bit ago that I never shared.
In December we did the same vacation that we did with Bryce as a family in 2010. We went to Disney World and on the Disney Cruise. Castaway Cay (Disney's Private Island) is kind of our "solace" as Bryce truly loved it there. We don't have a grave site to visit so the hammock that he laid in on Castaway Cay is our "special place" and we were looking forward to going there to be in our little piece of paradise. When we arrived to Castaway Cay Betsy (George's sister) found a cat... totally random right. A Cat on an island in the middle of the Bahamas that is visited only by Disney Cruise Ships. Betsy and Wade sat and played with the Cat for awhile as we wondered where this random cat came from. We continued on with the day and spent some time laying in Bryce's hammock, looking at the sky and just being "in the moment" before we headed back to the ship. A few days later, talking to friends of ours, we mentioned the cat and they said "Oh yes, that's Casey" My heart stopped and I said to myself OF COURSE it is... See, in the book "Heaven Is For Real" (if you haven't read it I highly suggest it) there is a part of Colton's journey where he tells his mom that he met his sister when he was in heaven, a sister he didn't even know about as she was a miscarriage. When his mom says "What was her name" Colton replies, "She doesn't have one, you never named her". That really hit my heart and stuck with me. A couple months ago George and I had a miscarriage and I said we HAVE to name the baby, remembering this part of the story it was not an option the baby HAD to have a name. The name we choose...KC. So here we are on Castaway Cay, our place of solace to relax and remember Bryce and the Island Cat's name is Casey... Of course it is, why wouldn't it be :-)
On to yesterday. George has been having problems with his shoulder. It's been bothering him lately so he went to the Dr to have it checked out. His blood work came back normal and the X-Ray showed nothing so they set up an MRI for it. It could be anything but of course everything runs through your head. As we arrived at the MRI yesterday George was like, I shouldn't be worried it's probably nothing but.... so I could tell it was getting to him. Not 2 minutes after he was called back the front door opens and in walks a husband and wife. As they approach the counter I can not help but think "I know this guy". As soon as the women said her name to check in it hits me it's Sonny Burgess.... OMG really Bryce, Really!!! Sonny Burgess is a Nashville Recording Artist that just so happens to live locally and frequents Cook Children's Hospital. When Bryce was in the hospital Randy Travis, Charlie Pride, Gloria Barron, Jolie Holiday and SONNY BURGESS performed a Christmas Show for the kids. It was a great day for us as Bryce was able to come down from his room and enjoy the event. It is a memory that George and I hold very dear to us... and here at the very moment when we are trying to figure out what is wrong with George's shoulder and a little "on edge" about the MRI, in walks Sonny Burgess... I have to admit, I cried! I sat there trying to be calm and not make a scene, but tears started rolling down past the giant smile that was on my face as I said to myself "thank you Bryce, thank you".
George asked me the other day if I think maybe we are reading too much into these "Random acts of Bryceness" if maybe we want them to be signs from heaven when really they are just coincidental... I said NO. If ever I doubted before... I truly believe now!
"It's not your imagination - sometimes a "coincidence" comes with a lot of Angelic effort."
